Denver, Colo. – Regis Volleyball got a big win at home Saturday, sweeping Colorado Mesa to advance to 25-3 and 17-1 in RMAC play. The victory, which came on senior night, earned the Rangers the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season title.

How It Happened: Both squads came out swinging, trading blows and electrifying the Field House. The result was a match that entertained from start to finish, with both teams flashing moments of dominance. Still it was the home Rangers that prevailed thanks to a fierce block and patient back row defense that deflated the Mesa squad.
 
Regis opened the night in the driver's seat, jumping out to a 4-1 lead they later extended to 8-3. The advantage stayed with the Rangers through the midway point of the first set, when an RU attack error knotted the game score at 13s. Four-straight Mackenzie Edwards kills put the Mavs up 17-14, but Regis quickly answered with a pair of runs of their own. The teams traded points down the stretch, with two critical CMU errors clinching the 28-26 win for the home team.
 
An even competition in the second set changed quickly with Sylvia Basso at the service line. That's when the Rangers erupted for six-straight points – capped by three-straight Regis blocks. Mesa battled but didn't have enough to upend an RU team firing on all cylinders. The Rangers won 25-21.
 
With five tie scores, set three was anyone's game the whole way through. Mesa refused to give up without a fight, and used a pesky defense to hang in against Regis' assault at the net. The intensity was high when the score moved to 22-22, but the Rangers had one final burst left. A Caitlyn Burroway kill sparked a run to the finish for Regis, and another from senior Caitlin Martinez moved the score to 25-22.
 
Match Notes: It was fitting on Senior Night that Martinez would wrap the night as one of the Rangers' best hitters. The right side notched eight kills on 20 attempts – good enough for a .350 kill clip. Middle Nikki Kennedy led all Regis players with 10 kills, hitting a match-best .381. Kristen Hornung totaled six blocks, helping Regis to a nine-block team effort. Though Mesa bettered the Rangers with 43 kills, the visitors committed a crippling 38 errors at the net for a team attack percentage of .038.
 
Next Up For The Rangers: Saturday's win assures home court advantage for the RU squad through the RMAC playoffs. The Rangers will host their first-round opponent on Tuesday at 7 pm. A win will set Regis up for a final four match on Friday night. Saturday's championship match is slated for Saturday 5 pm at the Field House.